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Mesothelioma
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Sadly, struggling to breathe adequately is a common, and potentially terrifying, symptom of mesothelioma. While the condition can be difficult to deal with, a variety of steps can help patients and caregivers address the problem proactively and breathe a little easier.
Symptoms of shortness of breath can include trouble breathing during certain activities, including meals, conversations or exercise; a racing heart; a blue tinge to skin; and overt signs of labored breathing, such as wheezing.
Many factors can contribute to breathlessness in patients with mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma tumors very frequently interfere with lung function and damage to the lungs from different mesothelioma treatments, such as including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, also can be a factor. Chronic lung disease, such as asbestosis or emphysema, can also cause or exacerbate breathing difficulties.
It’s important for mesothelioma patients suffering from an acute bout of breathlessness to stay calm. The American Cancer Society advises that patients should first sit up, loosen tight clothing, take any medicines or use oxygen if prescribed to help breathing, and inhale deeply through the nose, then exhale slowly through pursed lips. Sitting in front of an open window or a blowing fan can sometimes help. Call 9-1-1 if the problem doesn’t improve; if the skin has turned pale or blue; if chest pain, weakness, confusion or dizziness are present; or if it’s hard to talk.
Patients can keep a log of when breathing difficulties are likely to arise—noting what activities is the patient engaged in, where and when, and how severely breathing is affected. Such a log can help mesothelioma patients discuss the problem in detail with their doctors, and determine whether oxygen therapy or medicines (for instance, pain-relieving pills called opioids, or anti-anxiety drugs) might be useful. Treating other conditions, such as anemia, could also diminish the frequency of breathlessness a mesothelioma patient experiences.
A respiratory therapist can provide instruction in effective breathing exercises, help patients figure out how to actively manage the condition during their daily activities, and educate family members about how to assist. Simple modifications in a patient’s behavior, such as pausing to rest briefly on each step when climbing stairs, or donning a bathrobe instead of drying off after bathing, can reduce the odds of experiencing breathing difficulty. Therapists also advise patients with breathlessness who are engaged in any physical activity to breathe out on the exertion and breathe in during the resting portion of the activity, rather than hold their breath during exertion.
In addition, a carefully designed exercise or rehabilitation program might improve conditioning and ease symptoms. Also, training in anxiety management, for both patients and caregivers, can alleviate distress.
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